All Mortals Shall Know - Part I

[faderifting]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Yseult, Ellie, Lazar, Xiomara
RECIPIENT: All members of Riftwatch
DATE: Cloudreach 1
NOTES: This will contain a combination of crystal messages and some action between and from a team in the field in Minrathous.

[ If the Scoutmaster's voice wasn't already familiar to most of Riftwatch, it should be after this week: ]

This is Yseult, in Minrathous. Each of my team, repeat what you just told me on the open channel. You should all hear, and Kirkwall as well in case we're caught up.

Comments

[notathreat]

Everybody's scattering. I'm sticking here with hardline of five more minutes to help... salvage. [By the way she says it's, it's a good guess that it's not the pieces she's finding "homes" for.]

[An explosion sounds in the background, close, and Ellie curses and cuts the communication for several minutes.]

Public executions over near the base. I interfered, no witnesses. I'm gonna stash the salvage, then report in.

[extortionate]

You get any look on these - [ ka-pow sound ] - Can't figure if it's spells.

[notathreat]

Dunno, but I can describe it later. Hearing a lot of weird stuff over the crystals... what's going on?

[extortionate]

Haven't heard shit. Astrid was clean, hour back. What're you getting?

[notathreat]

... they're signaling dragons. All the watchtowers in Kirkwall.

[extortionate]

[ what follows isn't in trade - a hodgepodge of half the continent's choicest profanity - ]

[hassaran]

Good, we'll debrief on the location details later. [ Quick, quiet, street noise behind her now. ] Whose executions?

[notathreat]

Got it.

[She's speaking more freely now that she's apparently alone, in a closed space.]

Two of the Sons. Looks like they were hunting them down specifically. I managed to get the third out of the line of fire, stashed him in a safehouse he pointed out. Left him there. Got that location too, just in case.

[hassaran]

[ That shift is noted. Yseult's silent a moment (there's a sense of movement, voices and noise passing, left behind, then a stop, background muffled like a hand's cupped around the crystal). ]

If there's an opportunity to eliminate Garsus without risk to us, take it. But Ellie-- opportunity, not chance. If the right moment doesn't come we'll make proper plans. Understood?

[notathreat]

Understood.

I'm clear of the area now, and I'm not sure if he got away or not.

[hassaran]

Alright.

[ It might've been a more useful instruction to give an hour ago, but she's not immune to preoccupation. ]

It isn't worth going back. If this is all what it seems, then we'll have other chances. When-- [ she cuts off abruptly.

A quarter hour or so later: ]

They're announcing an attack on the Magisterium by traitors. The Elder One is taking control to protect the Imperium. I'm trying to get to the Argent Spire now, but the crowds up here are growing.

[notathreat]

[Ellie knows better than to press through the silence, but it makes her anxious all the time. She redoubles her path, is closing in through the basement when Yseult calls again.

She hesitates.]

Should we get somebody up there with you?

[hassaran]

I'm on my way to meet Lazar. I'll look less out of place outside the High Quarter with a guard. But first we need to find out what's happening at the chantry. Whether the Black Divine is part of this or not could be crucial.